cnyguy
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Posted 07 June 2014 - 05:37 PM
In that situation, I would take Mr. P. along with me. I sometimes used to take George the YCA with me on vacation, and he loved it, and made lots of new friends in the places we stayed. smile.png I haven't traveled with Ralph, but I suspect he wouldn't be as enthusiastic as George was-- he would tolerate it at best, but I'd still prefer that option to boarding him or trying to find someone to parrot-sit. If you do take Mr. P. along, just bring a good supply of food and treats and a few favorite toys.
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#3 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #3] Sharyn and Mr Piggy
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Posted 07 June 2014 - 06:13 PM
I originally was going to bring him with me but then I got to having 2nd thoughts. He gets up REALLY early and we are going to have some late nights. In a hotel room, he will wake up both my son and my b/f and possibly the folks on either side of us.
I can't bring his big new cage with me, he will have to stay in his old cage, which is a lot smaller. He will be locked in his cage most of the day because we are not going to spend a lot of time in the room. So, is it better to have him in strange surroundings, locked in a smaller cage with only a little of my time and attention, or have him in his big cage, at home, with a stranger taking care of him.
I hadnt even thought about boarding him at the vets until the other day when someone mentioned it. I actually think bringing him to the vets is the worst of both situations, except I know that if he gets sick in my absence, he's have someone qualified to treat him
No option is really good, I'm just looking for the one that he will like the best. For myself, personally, I'd take him for my own piece of mind but I really want to do what is best for him, not me
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#4 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #4] easttex
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 03:18 AM
I really empathize with your dilemma. Though I would want to take him with me, I'm leery of hotels. On top of everything else, I worry about the fume-y, harsh chemicals used in cleaning the rooms. (I'm a born worrier!
) I once boarded my lovebird overnight with an avian vet, and the desperate-feeling greeting I got when I picked him up, while gratifying in a way, made me think it was a very stressful thing for my bird. Too loud, too bright, just worrisome. If you don't already know someone you trust to come into your home and take care of him, that's a tough one, too. My personal solution is I just don't go anywhere, but that doesn't work for everyone.
I'd probably try to find a sitter first, preferably someone who knows birds, and who could come in and get to know him a little before you go. I'd be tempted to set up a NannyCam, not to spy on the sitter, but just so I could check in and reassure myself that my bird looks okay. Not everyone worries as much as I do, though.
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#5 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #5] Siobhan
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 04:45 AM
I don't go anywhere, either, but that's not an option when it's your daughter's wedding. LOL I have a friend who does pet sitting and she's taken care of everything from a snake to a horse in her adventures including a macaw or maybe it was an Amazon. A big parrot, anyway. So I would trust her. Do you know anyone who has birds who could either take care of him or recommend someone? I'm betting the best situation from his point of view would be to stay home with a sitter.
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#6 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #6] CaptainNapalm
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 05:37 AM
You will be there for your daughter's wedding which will require your full attention. The stress of travel, lack of your attention while you're there, and being left alone in a hotel room with housekeeping popping in and out and cleaning using who knows what chemicals to clean in proximity to him, will likely stress him more than just finding him a pet sitter or vet who will devote the attention to him he needs. If saving money is your goal though, taking him with you is likely the way to go. Personally, I wouldn't bring him along.
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#7 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #7] Casey's Mom
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 05:47 AM
I would leave him at home too, we were gone for three days last month and my friend came over a couple of times a day to talk to Casey and feed her. She sat one evening with her while she worked on her computer. Casey was happy when we got home and no worse for the wear. She would have been much more stressed if I had placed her in a new environment. Hopefully you can go and enjoy the wedding and find a willing neighbour to pop in and check on Mr. P.
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#8 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #8] Sharyn and Mr Piggy
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 06:39 AM
Thanks, Everyone. I wish I knew of someone but I don't know of anyone that is staying home! LOL that is the problem, all my friends that I would trust to take care of Mr P are also going to my daughter's wedding! Normally going out of town isnt such a big deal, my son watches him. But with everyone I am close with going to my daughter's wedding, I would have to hire a stranger.
Not to mention Mr P is not good with strangers. Yeah, I don't leave much either and when I do, it's normally only overnight and Mr P is ok overnight by himself.
Blah. I didnt even think about the cleaning fumes and stuff, GOOD POINT!
I'm pretty much screwed whatever I do
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#9 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #9] Allee
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 07:26 AM
Sharyn, since the wedding is in August you still have some time. Your decision, but personally I wouldn't consider taking him, as mentioned, hotels use industrial strength cleaning products daily, not to mention the possibility of strangers entering the room while you're out. I think I would look for a pet sitter, but I would have them come over for a chat and have them meet Mr. P. before I left him for four days. Your other choice is boarding with a vet, if you can find one that boards parrots, if you go that route I would visit the clinic and ask lots of questions. In an emergency, my first choice would be a sitter for the birds, but in an extreme emergency I would leave them with a vet.
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#10 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #10] Sharyn and Mr Piggy
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 08:19 AM
I will continue to look for a pet sitter, since I think that is my first choice too.
My avian vet boards, but ironically enough, I'm not sure they board parrots.
I'm headed to Denver this week on business (son is watching Mr P) and when I get back, I'll start calling around to the local vets.
Someone also suggested to me that one of the techs at the local vets (not necessarily an Avian vet) does pet sitting on the side.
the problem here is I live in bumf*ck Florida, and I am lucky my town has running water
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#11 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #11] easttex
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 09:57 AM
I hear ya. I'm out in the East Texas boonies, and I don't know anyone I would really trust with my birds. Not a very enlightened part of the country when it comes to taking good care of pet animals, if you know what I mean. I don't know what I would do if I had to travel. The vet tech might be a good option, though.
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#12 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #12] Sharyn and Mr Piggy
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 10:29 AM
lol for me, not a very enlightened part of the country when it comes to ANYTHING but growing oranges
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#13 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #13] Cindi&Jeriel
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 12:16 PM
I suggest seeing if anyone in your rescue/foster support group might be able to help. At least then you know he is with someone who knows all the dos and don'ts. If he can't stay home, that might be a step up from the vet.
Maybe, at the very least, they will have contact info for a sitter.
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#14 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #14] Sharyn and Mr Piggy
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Posted 08 June 2014 - 01:08 PM
Thanks, Cindi, I have already tried them. No one knows of anyone that lives out here, that is always the problem
Matter of fact, no one is even close to me to drop Mr P off at
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#15 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #15] Jan Cullen
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Posted 09 June 2014 - 02:13 PM
Hi Sharyn, I sympathise with your dilemma. I used to take Shah with me if I went away for the weekend but he became very high maintenance and he would throw tremendous temper tantrums if I left his sight. Unfortunately, I dont go away for weekends anymore because he gets stressed out when I am not around at night plus his bird sitter has moved about a 2 hour drive away. Try the vet tech. You need to go away, not worry about Mr P and enjoy yourself as it such a special occasion smile.png
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#16 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #16] Bene_Gesserit
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Posted 11 June 2014 - 10:23 AM
This might sound odd, but could you pay one of the vet techs to board him at their personal home? I worked as a tech and while we would cheerfully board, a vet's is chaotic. Dogs barking or whining, cats meowing or crying...the noise is what I would worry about the most, for a pet bird. No one wants it stone quiet, but a vet's is often just constant noises.
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#17 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #17] Sharyn and Mr Piggy
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Posted 11 June 2014 - 07:50 PM
I come home from denver on Friday (I am told by my son that Mr P is being a word I can't use here) and I will begin checking out vet type options (boarding, pet sitting, etc) next week.
Not sure what has gotten into Mr P. My son told me that he is eating (which is good) but he's being quite unsociable, moody and stubborn which is bad. He doesnt want to sit on his playstand, he just wants to sit on the top of his cage and fuss.
Guess there will be h*ll to pay when I get home!
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#18 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #18] Cindi&Jeriel
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Posted 11 June 2014 - 10:57 PM
Have you looked at Petsit.com or sittercity.com to see if there is anyone very close with background check and references near you? I have seen ads for them on Animal Planet or Discovery.
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#19 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #19] Sharyn and Mr Piggy
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Posted 12 June 2014 - 06:15 AM
I looked on care.com and one other. There is no one in my area! I even signed up for some site where you tell them what you are looking for and they email you potential people. The response I got back was "there is no one in your area". Most people are in either Orlando or Tampa which is WAY too far for someone to drive to my house.
I am prob going to have to take Mr P with me which is what I was going to do originally.
Thanks for the suggestions though. I will pursue this a little harder next week when I'm home. I am sincerely hoping one of the local vets can help me out with either a reference for someone who does it as a business or one of their techs who does it on the side.
Mr P is being so uncooperative for my son this week that it is starting to worry me about asking a stranger to come in!
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#20 [Pet Sitter, Board Or Cart Him With Me?: post #20] Oteyspeople
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Posted 17 June 2014 - 11:41 AM
Sharyn, since you're going to be in Jax, is there anyone *there* who could board Mr. P? We took an extended trip to New England for a family reunion, and found a lovely doggie day spa that could board our 3 dogs while we were there. Our one elderly dog was our main concern. Let's just say that THEIR accommodations were much better than the name brand hotel we were stuck in.
I've got relatives in Jax. Let me see if any of them might be interested, or know of someone who could take Mr. P for a few days.
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) I once boarded my lovebird overnight with an avian vet, and the desperate-feeling greeting I got when I picked him up, while gratifying in a way, made me think it was a very stressful thing for my bird. Too loud, too bright, just worrisome. If you don't already know someone you trust to come into your home and take care of him, that's a tough one, too. My personal solution is I just don't go anywhere, but that doesn't work for everyone.
